Team's playoff rise coincides with QB's

Garrard signed a big offseason deal, but he still has a lot to prove.

Vito Stellino

When Jaguars quarterback David Garrard signed a six-year, $60 million contract extension in March, he couldn't help but think back to the 2006 season finale when he was benched in the second half at Kansas City.

"To come from where I was last year is truly amazing," he said.

Now the question is how far Garrard can go and how far he can carry the Jaguars.

The contract was a sign that the Jaguars believe in Garrard and that he can join one of the most exclusive clubs in sports and become a Super Bowl- winning quarterback.

In 42 Super Bowls, there have been only 27 different winning quarterbacks. Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Tom Brady and Troy Aikman combined to win 14; five others each won two.

"I think it [the contract with Garrard] really gives us the stability and the continuity that we need to compete at the highest level and bring a championship to Jacksonville and, hopefully, multiple championships," Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver said.

A backup for five seasons, Garrard took the starting job nine days before last year's season opener when the team surprisingly cut Byron Leftwich.

Garrard's play justified coach Jack Del Rio's decision. Though he missed three games with an ankle injury last season, Garrard put up team-record statistics while leading the Jaguars to their first playoff victory since 1999. He also became the first quarterback to beat the Steelers twice in Pittsburgh in the same season.

Garrard ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (102.2) behind the New England Patriots' Tom Brady (117.2) and the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger (104.1), led the league in third-quarter passer rating (128.8) and was fifth in fourth-quarter rating (103.9). Garrard threw 18 touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Still, Garrard hasn't convinced all the skeptics. The Sporting News, for example, recently ranked him only the eighth-best quarterback in the AFC behind, among others, the Denver Broncos' Jay Cutler and the Cleveland Browns' Derek Anderson.

The Jaguars, though, have high expectations for Garrard.

"I think you see that David Garrard, the step that he took last year is something we think we can build on and I think he showed that by the way he operated all spring," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said at the end of offseason drills in June.

Garrard also has new receivers, including veteran Jerry Porter, who's expected to be ready for the regular season after missing the preseason after hamstring surgery.

"He throws a very nice ball," Porter said of Garrard. "He doesn't put you in danger. You can rest assured that he is not going to hang you out to dry. If you get hung out to dry too many times, you start going in there [over the middle] a little tentative."

Garrard faces pressure and expectations this season. But he sounds relaxed and doesn't have to look over his shoulder and worry about his job status.

"I can just play, have fun, do my job, encourage everybody and just try to be the best leader possible," he said. "I know my position. It's my chance and it's my chance to be the leader of this team and to take over the reins."